Diagnostic and prognostic value of serum miR-9-5p and miR-128-3p levels in early-stage acute ischemic stroke

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the clinical utility of serum microRNA levels (miR-9-5p and miR-128-3p) in the diagnosis and prognosis of early-stage acute ischemic stroke (AIS). METHODS: We compared the differences in serum miR-9-5p and miR-128-3p levels between patients with AIS and healthy individuals (controls). The serum levels of miR-9-5p and miR-128-3p were quantified using quantitative real-time PCR, and the association of each miRNA with AIS was determined using receiver operator characteristic curve analysis. The predictive value of these indices in the diagnosis of early-stage AIS was evaluated in conjunction with that of computed tomography findings and neuron-specific enolase levels. The prognosis of patients with AIS was evaluated three months after their discharge from hospital using the modified Rankin scale, which classifies the prognosis as either favorable or poor. Logistic regression analysis was used to analyze the correlation between miR-9-5p and miR-128-3p levels and patient prognosis. RESULTS: The serum levels of miR-9-5p and miR-128-3p were upregulated in patients with AIS relative to those in healthy individuals. A pronounced correlation was identified between serum miR-9-5p and miR-128-3p levels and patient prognosis, with high levels of both miRNAs being associated with poor patient outcomes. CONCLUSION: Assessment of serum miR-9-5p and miR-128-3p levels is important for the early diagnosis and prognosis of AIS

Isolation and screening of a chitin deacetylase producing Bacillus cereus and its potential for chitosan preparation

Chitosan is a biopolymer material extracted from marine biomass waste such as shrimp and crab shells, which has good biocompatibility and degradability with great potential for application in the field of wastewater treatment and soil remediation. The higher the degree of deacetylation (DD), the better the adsorption performance of chitosan. Chitin deacetylase (CDA) can specifically catalyze the deacetylate of chitin in a green reaction that is environmentally friendly. However, the scarcity of high yielding chitin deacetylase strains has been regarded as the technical bottleneck of chitosan green production. Here, we screened a natural chitin degrading bacterium from coastal mud and identified it as Bacillus cereus ZWT-08 by re-screening the chitin deacetylase activity and degree of deacetylation values. By optimizing the medium conditions and enzyme production process, ZWT-08 was cultured in fermentation medium with 1% (m/V) glucose and yeast extract at pH 6.0, 37°C, and a stirring speed of 180 r/min. After fermenting in 5 L fermenter for 48 h, the deacetylation activity of the supernatant reached 613.25 U/mL. Electron microscopic examination of the chitin substrate in the fermentation medium revealed a marshmallow-like fluffy texture on its structural surface. Meanwhile, 89.29% of the acetyl groups in this chitin substrate were removed by enzymatic digestion of chitin deacetylase produced by ZWT-08, resulting in the preparation of chitosan a degree of deacetylation higher than 90%. As an effective strain for chitosan production, Bacillus cereus ZWT-08 plays a positive role in the bioconversion of chitin and the upgrading of the chitosan industry

Diabetic Osteoporosis: A Review of Its Traditional Chinese Medicinal Use and Clinical and Preclinical Research

Aim. The incidence of diabetic osteoporosis (DOP) is increasing due to lack of effective management over the past few decades. This review aims to summarize traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) suitability in the pathogenesis and clinical and preclinical management of DOP. Methods. Literature sources used were from Medline (Pubmed), CNKI (China Knowledge Resource Integrated Database), and CSTJ (China Science and Technology Journal Database) online databases. For the consultation, keywords such as diabetic osteoporosis (DOP), TCM, clinical study, animal experiment, toxicity, and research progress were used in various combinations. Around 100 research papers and reviews were visited. Results. Liver-spleen-kidney insufficiency may result in development of DOP. 18 clinical trials are identified to use TCM compound prescriptions for management of patients with DOP. TCM herbs and their active ingredients are effective in preventing the development of DOP in streptozotocin (STZ) and alloxan as well as STZ combined with ovariectomy insulted rats. Among them, most frequently used TCM herbs in clinical trials are Radix Astragali, Radix et Rhizoma Salviae Miltiorrhizae, Radix Rehmanniae Preparata, and Herba Epimedii. Some of TCM herbs also exhibit toxicities in clinical and preclinical research. Conclusions. TCM herbs may act as the novel sources of anti-DOP drugs by improving bone and glucolipid metabolisms. However, the pathogenesis of DOP and the material base of TCM herbs still merit further study

Mytoxin B and Myrothecine A Induce Apoptosis in Human Hepatocarcinoma Cell Line SMMC-7721 via PI3K/Akt Signaling Pathway

Trichothecene macrolides comprise a class of valuable leading compounds in developing anticancer drugs, however, there are few reports concerning their anticancer mechanisms, especially the anticancer mechanism of the 10,13-cyclotrichothecane derivatives that are found mainly in symbiotic fungi. In vitro anticancer activity of two trichothecene macrolides mytoxin B and myrothecine A against the human hepatocarcinoma cell line SMMC-7721 was investigated in the present study. MTT assay showed that mytoxin B and myrothecine A inhibited the proliferation of SMMC-7721 cells in dose- and time-dependent manners. Annexin V-FITC/PI dual staining assay revealed that mytoxin B and myrothecine A both could induce SMMC-7721 cells apoptosis in a dose-dependent manner. The decreased expression level of anti-apoptotic protein Bcl-2 and the increased expression level of pro-apoptotic protein Bax were observed apparently in Western blot analysis. The reduced ratio of Bcl-2/Bax further confirmed the apoptosis-inducing effect of mytoxin B and myrothecine A on SMMC-7721 cells. Moreover, the expression levels of caspases-3, -8, and -9, and cleaved caspases-3, -8, and -9 were all upregulated in both mytoxin B and myrothecine A-treated cells in Western blot analysis, which indicated that both compounds might induce SMMC-7721 cells apoptosis through not only the death receptor pathway but also the mitochondrial pathway. Finally, mytoxin B and myrothecine A were found to reduce the activity of PI3K/Akt signaling pathway that was similar to the effect of LY294002 (a potent and specific PI3K inhibitor), suggesting that both mytoxin B and myrothecine A might induce SMMC-7721 cells apoptosis via PI3K/Akt pathway

Stable Quantum Dot Photoelectrolysis Cell for Unassisted Visible Light Solar Water Splitting

Sunlight is an ideal source of energy, and converting sunlight into chemical fuels, mimicking what nature does, has attracted significant attention in the past decade. In terms of solar energy conversion into chemical fuels, solar water splitting for hydrogen production is one of the most attractive renewable energy technologies, and this achievement would satisfy our increasing demand for carbon-neutral sustainable energy. Here, we report corrosion-resistant, nanocomposite photoelectrodes for spontaneous overall solar water splitting, consisting of a CdS quantum dot (QD) modified TiO₂ photoanode and a CdSe QD modified NiO photocathode, where cadmium chalcogenide QDs are protected by a ZnS passivation layer and gas evolution cocatalysts. The optimized device exhibited a maximum efficiency of 0.17%, comparable to that of natural photosynthesis with excellent photostability under visible light illumination. Our device shows spontaneous overall water splitting in a nonsacrificial environment under visible light illumination (λ > 400 nm) through mimicking nature’s “Z-scheme” process. The results here also provide a conceptual layout to improve the efficiency of solar-to-fuel conversion, which is solely based on facile, scalable solution-phase techniques

Characterization, expression patterns of molt-inhibiting hormone gene of Macrobrachium nipponense and its roles in molting and growth.

The oriental river prawn, Macrobrachium nipponense, is an important commercial aquaculture resource in China. In order to overwinter, M. nipponense displays decreased physiological activity and less consumption of energy. Sudden warming would trigger molting and cause an extensive death, resulting in huge economic losses. Therefore, it is of great practical significance to study the molting mechanism of oriental river prawns. Molt-inhibiting hormone gene (MIH) plays a major role in regulating molting in crustaceans. In this study, a full length MIH cDNA of M. nipponense (Mn-MIH) was cloned from the eyestalk. The total length of the Mn-MIH was 925 bp, encoding a protein of 119 amino acids. Tissue distribution analysis showed that Mn-MIH was highly expressed in the eyestalk, and that it had relatively low expression in gill, ovary, and abdominal ganglion. Mn-MIH was detected in all developmental stages, and changed regularly in line with the molting cycle of the embryo and larva. Mn-MIH varied in response to the molting cycle, suggesting that Mn-MIH negatively regulates ecdysteroidogenesis. Mn-MIH inhibition by RNAi resulted in a significant acceleration of molting cycles in both males and females, confirming the inhibitory role of MIH in molting. After long-term RNAi males, but not females had significant weight gain, confirming that Mn-MIH plays an important role in growth of M. nipponense. Our work contributes to a better understanding of the role of Mn-MIH in crustacean molting and growth

Water-assisted hydrogen spillover in Pt nanoparticle-based metal–organic framework composites

Abstract Hydrogen spillover is the migration of activated hydrogen atoms from a metal particle onto the surface of catalyst support, which has made significant progress in heterogeneous catalysis. The phenomenon has been well researched on oxide supports, yet its occurrence, detection method and mechanism on non-oxide supports such as metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) remain controversial. Herein, we develop a facile strategy for efficiency enhancement of hydrogen spillover on various MOFs with the aid of water molecules. By encapsulating platinum (Pt) nanoparticles in MOF-801 for activating hydrogen and hydrogenation of C=C in the MOF ligand as activated hydrogen detector, a research platform is built with Pt@MOF-801 to measure the hydrogenation region for quantifying the efficiency and spatial extent of hydrogen spillover. A water-assisted hydrogen spillover path is found with lower migration energy barrier than the traditional spillover path via ligand. The synergy of the two paths explains a significant boost of hydrogen spillover in MOF-801 from imperceptible existence to spanning at least 100-nm-diameter region. Moreover, such strategy shows universality in different MOF and covalent organic framework materials for efficiency promotion of hydrogen spillover and improvement of catalytic activity and antitoxicity, opening up new horizons for catalyst design in porous crystalline materials

Primers used in this study.

<p>Primers used in this study.</p